Back to school amid uncertainty: Supporting 1,000 children in Gaza
Published: Oct 13, 2026 Reading time: 4 minutes Share: Share an articleFor millions of children across the globe, September marks the return to classrooms, teachers, and learning. In Gaza, hundreds of thousands of children returned to school on 19 September. At the same time, for the third consecutive year, children have started the school year without a fully re-established formal education system, amid profound uncertainty and extreme constraints.
Although children describe their joy at returning to class and their determination to learn, little resembles the beginning of a normal school year. With 98 per cent of school buildings damaged or completely destroyed, children mostly learn in makeshift schools, tents, and improvised classrooms. Even notebooks and pens are unaffordable for many families. More than 200,000 children are still estimated to be outside structured learning. All of this is happening against the backdrop of ongoing attacks.
An educational journey for 1,000 children
With the beginning of the official school year, we, in partnership with Al Nayzak, have launched the Educational Enrichment Programme to support 1,000 students in Grades 1–10 as they continue their education in temporary learning spaces across the Gaza Strip.
“We aim to address critical learning gaps in Science, Mathematics, Arabic, and English. These will be complemented by Social and Emotional Learning (SEL) and recreational activities that support students’ well-being and continued engagement in learning,” says Simona Varga, our Humanitarian Advisor for Gaza.
Wherever possible, we equip temporary learning spaces with educational materials and supplies. However, they cannot fully replicate the environment of an adequately equipped and functionally structured school. In many learning centres furniture, such as desks and chairs, is unavailable, leaving students to continue their lessons while seated on the ground.
“These conditions highlight both the determination of students to continue learning and the continued need for investment in safe, dignified, and appropriate learning environments for children across Gaza,” says Hani Hijazi from Al Nayzak.
Temporary Learning Spaces are often the only option to continue learning
Despite the efforts of international and local actors, more than 770,000 children require education support, according to the Occupied Palestinian Territory Education Cluster.
The Cluster’s satellite-based assessment estimated that approximately 98 per cent of school buildings had sustained damage, with 93.3 per cent requiring major rehabilitation or full reconstruction. A subsequent in-depth Gaza Public School Damage Assessment found that 133 schools had been destroyed and 51 damaged.
Given this situation, Temporary Learning Spaces are often the only option for children to continue learning. At the end of the 2025/26 school year in mid-July, 613 Temporary Learning Spaces supported by humanitarian partners were serving 432,701 children, approximately 57 per cent of the education workload.
For those enrolled, however, attendance did not mean full access to education. Overcrowding and multiple shifts limit most face-to-face instruction to approximately nine hours per week. Funding shortages have further reduced provision, contributing to the closure of 225 learning spaces in 2026 and abruptly interrupting education for 46,573 children, including 981 children with disabilities, while affecting 1,410 education personnel.
These are not the only challenges facing education in Gaza. Explosive hazards, the continued use of schools as shelters, limited availability of safe land, inadequate water, sanitation, and hygiene facilities, overcrowding, restrictions on supplies, ongoing attacks, and repeated displacement continue to constrain the expansion of education opportunities.
Supporting the people of Gaza
We began providing aid to people in Gaza in December 2023. Since then, we have supported tens of thousands of people thanks to emergency funds raised through our People in Need Club of Friends and our SOS Gaza Emergency Appeal.
In April 2024, we launched the SOS Gaza Emergency Appeal. To date, the appeal has raised more than €300,000 (CZK 7.8 million), and fundraising continues.
Together with our Alliance2015 partners Welthungerhilfe and CESVI and our local partner JUZOOR, and with funding from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Czech Republic and our SOS Gaza Emergency Appeal, we have helped mitigate the life-threatening impacts of acute malnutrition and deteriorating water, sanitation, and hygiene conditions in Gaza. Through War Child Alliance, we have provided psychosocial first aid to thousands of children and their families.
